Letter to the Editor: Is It Time to Pay for AT Courses?

I am shocked and disappointed that is considering charging parents additional fees for their children to participate in Academically Talented (AT) educational programs.

Almost without exception, experts in the field of education of the intellectually gifted agree that early identification of such talented students is important. There is a good deal of evidence to show that many gifted students who are not identified and whose needs are not met adequately at an early age become frustrated and disillusioned with school, falling into a pattern of low achievement and/or behavioral problems. (Carol J. Mills; Academically Talented Children: The Case for Early Identification and Nurturance; Pediatrics Vol. 89 No. 1 January 1, 1992 ;pp. 156 -157)

Fifteen percent of 308 students drop out already. We need to encourage and properly challenge our students, not condemn them to daily boredom sitting in classrooms where the learning pace is governed by the assimilation speed of the next-to-slowest learner in the room.

At a time when one in five families in Illinois are experiencing under- or unemployment and significantly reduced income, additional fees to provide appropriate educational opportunities for our best and brightest students is directly contrary to our commitment to “put an outstanding education within reach for every child" (President Obama, July 18, 2011). When struggling to pay the mortgage and put food on the table and gas in the car, AT class fees may well put participation in AT classes far out of reach.

In District 308, only 2% of the 17,175 students participate in the AT programs. The total education budget for 308 is $111,420,212. That averages out to about $6,500 per student per year. The neighboring district spends an average of $9,900 per student with a graduation rate of 98.6 percent. Check the Programme for International Student Assessment PISA 2009 scores and rankings by country and judge for yourself how American educational outcomes compare to the rest of the world. It is clear we need to do better and when funds are limited, business managers know to put the money where there is the greatest potential for return on investment: students who have already proven a predisposition to academic success and will benefit from AT programs. "A world-class education is the single most important factor in determining not just whether our kids can compete for the best jobs but whether America can out-compete countries around the world” (President Obama, July 18, 2011).

Every time District 308 has requested a tax increase to support growing education costs, I have voted yes. My kids are either in college or raising their own family now. I still vote Yes. I vote yes because while stupidity is terminal, ignorance is curable.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Ac of 2009 invests heavily in education both as a way to provide jobs now and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity. The Act includes $5 billion for early learning programs, including Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, and programs for children with special needs. The Act also provides $77 billion for reforms to strengthen elementary and secondary education, including $48.6 billion to stabilize state education budgets (of which $8.8 billion may be used for other government services) and to encourage states to make improvements in teacher effectiveness and ensure that all schools have highly-qualified teachers; make progress toward college and career-ready standards and rigorous assessments that will improve both teaching and learning (whitehouse.gov).

That’s an additional $1,400 per student in educational spending – 21 percent of District 308 per student spending on education. Yet, Reading and Math achievement scores have remained essentially unchanged since 2005. (Childstats.gov) The AT programs serve those who want to learn; those most likely to have a positive impact on American scholastic performance.

Allowing a third grade student to sit in fourth grade math classes to provide that student a more challenging educational experience may avoid additional cost to an enhanced opportunity, but denies that student a knowledge transfer experience with their peers.  Johns Hopkins University reported that the majority of the students report that they learn more when grouped with like-ability peers. (cty.jhu.edu) The social advancement differential between third- and fourth-graders denies that student the peer environment in which to flourish.

We have AT programs that work for our best and brightest. Because they are demonstrably academically outstanding is the very reason we should not allow provision of an intellectually stimulating and rewarding educational experience to be priced beyond their reach by imposing punishing financial burdens on their parents.

I am asking the administration of District 308 to not perpetuate early learning  mediocrity by limiting the participation in AT programs to only the financially able with targeted fees for our best and brightest students. I encourage you to do the same.

Charles Brown, Aurora